Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is sandwiched between the Virungas in Congo and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and its claim to fame is that it was Africa's first national park, gazetted in 1925 to protect the mountain gorilla families from poachers.

Dian Fossey did not arrive until the 60s, following Rwandan independence. Many people will know Fossey's story from the film, Gorillas in the Mist.

Altitude ranges from 2400m to over 4500m and as such there are may different zones for flora and fauna including montane forest to marshes, grasslands and meadow. As well as gorillas you'll find Golden monkeys, duiker, bushbuck, buffalo and hyena. Elephants have been spotted but are rare. here are 178 recorded bird species, with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.